A state proposition requiring genetically engineered foods to be labeled is on November's ballot and the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors endorsed the idea Tuesday.

On a 4-1 vote, with 1st District Supervisor Rex Bohn dissenting, the supervisors approved voicing support for Proposition 37. If passed, it'll require all genetically engineered foods sold in the state, including raw fruits and vegetables, to be labeled as such. Genetically modified foods have genes that have been altered.

Third District Supervisor Mark Lovelace said the labels would provide more information for customers.

"It seems to be the intent is to let consumers make a knowledgeable choice," Lovelace said.

Rosa Rashall, with the SoHum Label GMOs Group, agreed. She made a presentation to the board Tuesday, stating the lack of labeling hurts the state's competitiveness on the international market.

"Forty-nine countries already have this fundamental right to know," Rashall said.

California would be the first in the nation to approve such a measure, but this isn't the first time genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, have been on the ballot. In 2004, a group of organic farmers in Humboldt tried to pass a local measure banning GMOs. The measure would have made it unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to propagate, cultivate, raise or grow GMOs in the county. It lost by two-thirds of the vote following the discovery that there were errors in the measure's scientific language, and concerns over its constitutionality.

Fourth District Supervisor Virginia Bass expressed concern about Proposition 37, saying she's worried about lawsuits. However, she said labeling is helpful for consumers.

"I'm thankful high sodium is labeled," Bass said. "I do think it's nice for people to at least know."

Bohn also expressed concern about lawsuits. He said he's worried about not having the Humboldt County Farm Bureau and local organic dairies on board. He also said he's concerned about adding more strain on businesses.

"I worry about we're going to label our stuff in California, but do they make different labels for out of state?," Bohn said.

During public comment, Cutten resident Denver Nelson expressed his opposition to the proposition. He said it would require labeling virtually all of the food products on the market. He said genetic modification is a good thing, leading to increased crop productivity and the use of less pesticides, fuel and herbicides.

"It's just a way of sort of speeding up natural selection," Nelson said.

Eureka Natural Foods produce manager Juan Gagne said he's in support of the proposition, stating adding a label simply provides more information about the product.

"After all, a bottle of orange juice has to tell you if it's made from concentrate," Gagne said.

Fifth District Supervisor Ryan Sundberg said he personally doesn't care whether the food is labeled or not. He said he wished more of the people opposed to the proposition had made their voices heard by the board, but said the community shouldn't just look to the supervisors for answers.

"I hope people go out and do their own research," Sundberg said.

During the board's afternoon session, the supervisors unanimously approved partially denying an appeal from the city of Trinidad and the Friends of Westhaven and Trinidad to reconsider some of the conditions of approval of a subdivision on a 94-acre lot.

Trinidad and the Friends of Westhaven and Trinidad wanted a number of changes to the project, several related to surface water withdrawals. The project aims to create four new lots from a 94-acre tract known as the Moss Parcel, near Fox Farm Road and North Westhaven Drive, in Trinidad.

The board went along with county staff recommendations, which embraced some of the entities' desired changes. The board approved amending the dry season dates, requiring future deeds and development plans to include vegetation clearing restrictions, and having future emergency water conservation ordinances enacted by the city of Trinidad apply to the property. The board denied requiring a minimum flow rate be set at Trinidad's water intake on Luffenholtz Creek.

Second District Supervisor Clif Clendenen said the project -- which was originally approved in 1997 -- has had a lengthy public vetting.

"It looks like every public process happened on this project," Clendenen said.